No. 3 Georgia baseball opened its weekend series against No. 11 Auburn with a 4-1 victory at Foley Field in front of a sold-out crowd fueled by a dominant relief performance from Kolten Smith.
The junior, now 2-0 on the season, entered the game in the fourth inning and pitched five hitless frames, recording eight strikeouts and allowing just one walk.
“Just getting every out I could, I was just getting fired up for the team,” Smith said. “My emotions were high. It’s a Friday night game in this league.”
Georgia’s pitching staff, which has allowed an average of 4.6 runs per game, delivered one of its strongest performances of the season, limiting Auburn to just one run on four total hits.
The Bulldogs’ pitchers combined for 14 strikeouts, keeping the Tigers off the board until the ninth inning. Even with Auburn’s late run, Georgia remained in control throughout the game.
Left-hander Charlie Goldstein started for Georgia, throwing three scoreless innings while allowing three hits and four walks. The graduate’s previous outing against Florida lasted 2 2/3 innings, during which he allowed four runs.
Georgia coach Wes Johnson praised the pitching staff’s performance.
“Put the zeros up as long as we did tonight against the best offense we’ve seen this year,” Johnson said. “We’ve been needing that.”
After a strong showing on the mound, Georgia’s offense did its part to back up the pitching staff.
Nolan McCarthy’s second-inning single setup Devin Obee’s 454-foot, two-run homer to center field. In the fourth, Daniel Jackson added a two-run blast of his own, marking his third home run in two games after hitting two in Georgia’s previous win over West Georgia.
Jackson finished 1 for 4 with two RBIs, while Obee went 2 for 4 with two RBIs.
The Bulldogs lead the NCAA in home runs with 76.
Georgia (26-2, 6-1 SEC) will conclude the series with Auburn (19-6, 4-3 SEC) on Saturday with a doubleheader due to expected inclement weather on Sunday. The first game is scheduled for 11 a.m., followed by the regularly scheduled game at 4 p.m.
